Troy Parrott: Spurs’ Promising Irish Teen Striker

Embed from Getty ImagesTroy Parrott is already making ripples in world football, after scoring against Barcelona under 19’s. Fans are comparing him to the likes of Harry Kane and his compatriot Robbie Keane. He’s only sixteen but looks set to be scoring goals in lilywhite but also green senior shirts in not too long, writes Declan Wiseman.

Spurs acquired this youngster last year, transferring from local club Belvedere FC. Since then he has made some interesting impressions so early in his time at the club. Against Arsenal under 23’s he was sent off for pushing Julio Pleguezuelo. Clearly, he already has a fiery side to his game, retaining that passionate part of the game that goes all too commonly missing nowadays. There is a limit to what could be construed as ill-discipline, but similarly, a squad needs players that live and breathe every football match, who get caught up in it all. Parrott is one of those players.

He is already involved in the Irish international set up. For example, he played in the European under 17 Championship. This included scoring an important 69th minute free-kick against Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a fabulous effort that arched into the top right corner from about 25 yards out.

Eugene Magee, Celtic’s talent scout claims that “he’s one of the most exciting I’ve seen in 20 years”. These are fine words for the young Irishman. Moreover, Pochettino has hinted at how players like Parrott are involved in first team training in order to have the “possibility to play” in the senior matches. They aren’t just there for the experience, or to have their hand held by their elders. Instead, it is a competitive environment, where players like Parrott get to prove that they are ready for first team football. This is commendable of the Tottenham manager to give these young players every chance to thrive.

Most recently, Parrott has been on fire for the Spurs youth side. He netted a double against Leicester in a 4-0 win. Another double came in September when he and his team demolished West Ham 9-0. It is one thing to score goals for the youth team; it is another to start scoring goals for the first team. This is especially true when Harry Kane is the player that Parrott must compete with. Not many senior players could challenge Kane for a place.

However, this shouldn’t be a target that Parrott needs to meet. He is so young and has time to develop and should enjoy his football without any pressure. Nevertheless, he is already showing signs that he is a capable striker, who can score goals, but also bring his team-mates into the game. There is power in his stride and stature, with pace also an asset that he can call upon. There is so much about his game to suggest that he will make a top striker in the future.

With a clean bill of health, and with Spurs continuing to abstain from too much investment in the senior team, Parrott’s path to glory is slowly being laid down. Now, he just needs to keep on moving forward, sustaining his goalscoring and his progress.